Maruti is starting to get very serious about its SUV lineup. It is successfully transitioning from a small car maker to a big SUV maker. The Grand Vitara is a testament to that rise, and now Maruti is working on a 7-seater based on the Grand Vitara. With this 7-seater SUV, Maruti could knock on the doors of the Tata Safari, Mahindra XUV700, etc. In today’s article, let’s talk about this new Maruti SUV.
Attention Readers! Join us on Whatsapp Community for daily auto news updates.
Grand Vitara 7-seater
Maruti has started working on a 7-seater SUV based on the Grand Vitara. Internally, the car is codenamed Y17. The Y17 is expected to be the first car to be rolled out from the under-construction new plant in Kharkhoda, Haryana. The plant is expected to become operational by 2025, and so the 7-seater is also expected to come in 2025. Could we see a Toyota version? There is uncertainty as Toyota is also working on a Corolla Cross-based 7-seater.
New Maruti SUV – What to expect?
The Y17 will be based on the global C-platform like the Grand Vitara. To accommodate the extra rows, the Y17 will be longer. There could be minor tweaks to the other dimensions to give it a proportional look. Design-wise, we can expect a new front design with a new grille and LED headlamps. Other exterior changes could include new alloys and tail lamps. In the interiors, we could see a new dashboard layout and upholstery. New features could include ADAS, ventilated seats, a digital instrument cluster, ambient lighting, etc.
Specifications
The new 7-seater could come with the same specifications as the Grand Vitara. So it will mean the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol in pure petrol and strong hybrid setup. For the hybrid setup, Maruti will need to make some changes as currently, the battery pack encroaches on the boot space. With the third row, Maruti will need to better manage the battery pack. We can expect a manual and a CVT gearbox on the non-hybrid version, while an e-CVT gearbox on the hybrid version.
New Maruti SUV – Launch
The Grand Vitara 7-seater is still a few years away from launch, with its launch timeline set in 2025. Before the 7-seater SUV, Maruti has its hands filled with the new-gen Swift & Dzire and also the eVX. Talking about the pricing of the 7-seater, it is expected to be Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh more expensive than the Grand Vitara. Considering the price hikes, in the next two years, we could expect this SUV to go up to Rs 27 lakh to 28 lakh (on-road, Mumbai).
Also read:
Top-5 hatchbacks in India (November 2023)
Maruti’s Punch rival to get a update next year?
If you have car-buying doubts click here to ask! To get all the news updates you can join our Whatsapp community, by clicking here. For more such content stay subscribed to MotorOctane Youtube, Google News Facebook, and Twitter.
New Maruti SUV to take on the Tata Safari read on MotorOctane.